Alright, I admit it. When a journalist asked Liberal Finance Critic Scott Brison a devastatingly worded question there was no way to answer safely, I smiled.

Here’s the question put by Sun Media’s David Akin:

“The Liberal finance minister in Ontario was asked this week about corporate tax cuts, his program. The NDP there would like tax cuts to be cancelled and his response was, and I’m quoting now, ‘It is about the most short-sighted, dumb public policy pronouncement one can envision to cancel corporate tax cuts,’ and I wondered if he knows something you don’t.”

Frankly, any honest reporter would admit there is great pleasure in seeing a politician squirm because of your question. Upon hearing the question, Brison did squirm. Then his response went from refusing comment to repeating his line that the previous Liberal government in Ottawa cut corporate taxes when the government was in surplus and he called on the current Conservative crowd to adopt that same policy and cancel the cuts scheduled to go into effect next year. All in all, Brison made the best of a situation he couldn’t win. When your provincial cousins call your policy “short-sighted” and “dumb” what possible response can you give? Something tells me there were probably some interesting calls between Parliament Hill and Queen’s Park not long after Brison’s news conference.

We’re in an election year here in Ontario and nominations for various party candidacies are being filled. I’ve learned that come next October, PC leader Tim Hudak may have something of a star candidate in Global’s Darryl Konynenbelt.

Konynenbelt is well-known to Toronto viewers and will be seeking the PC party nomination of Mississauga South where he is raising triplets with his wife Anne-Marie Mediwake, who also works in television. Darryl’s profile page at globaltoronto.com has gone blank and he also had this announcement just last night:

A news station will have the numbers out later this eveningUPDATE: It a poll that was likely commissioned for Global. Rumour is they have an “explosive new poll” that’ll go on the news at 6pm.

UPDATE: Global reports same numbers as above except Smitherman at 21% and undecided at 21%. This poll was done by a company with extensive credibility and indicates that Ford may be Toronto’s next mayor come October 25th.